Taxi rank to be moved to keep partygoers safe

Partygoers could find their usual taxi rank in Gloucester's Eastgate Street has been moved.

Bar and club owners, taxi drivers and councillors are in talks to move the taxi rank on the lower end of the street to make it safer.

A large number of vehicles pulling in and out combined with hoards of drunk partygoers has been a cause of concern for nighttime economy representatives.

Illegal pick-ups by private hire firms are also adding to the woes.

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But they can't decide where to move it to – and experts are visiting the area on Friday to decide what is best.

One option is to move the rank to outside GL1 leisure centre but bosses there fear drunks may smash their large glass window frontage.

Another option is to install pop-up bollards to stop the flow of traffic and use the one way side streets to route taxis around the area.

Police want to see a trial of the scheme introduced over three weekends before anything is made permanent.

Consultation for any highway changes would take place in June or July.

PC Mark Mansfield said: "We need to trial it and see how it goes because the place at the moment is a nightmare."

But deciding on what is the best option has so far been a sticking point.

Councillor Jennie Dallimore, who heads up the Safer Gloucester Nightsafe committee, said: "We can do some trials of the different options.

"But we all need to remember why we are doing this and that is because we want to create a safer place to come on a night out.

"We want a solution that will help business, the police and the taxis.

"There will be some compromises needed to be made from some people and we need to have a leap of faith. Let's not stand still on this issue."

Gloucester County councillor Pamela Tracey (C, Westgate) has offered to put some of her £10,000 pot of money for highway improvements toward the scheme.

The Nightsafe committee will review the findings from the site visit on Friday at their next meeting on March 8.